Imagine cruising with a well-known executive chef from a famous restaurant or an inspiring culinary television personality. Holland America Line‘s Culinary Arts Center program makes this dream a reality by inviting top chefs from across the country to take part in their voyages.

Celebrity Chefs 2009

Designed as a first-class show kitchen at sea, Culinary Arts Centers aboard Holland America’s ships resemble the elaborate show kitchens used by celebrity chefs on TV. In partnership with Food and Wine Magazine, each facility features a theater-style venue with two large plasma video screens and a large cooking display counter where guests can learn from the masters.

In addition to world-famous chefs, the Culinary Arts Program includes cookbook authors as well as chocolatiers and tablescape experts. On cruises that do not have a guest chef on board, classes and demonstrations in the show kitchen are scheduled with Holland America’s own expert chefs.

Kids in the Kitchen

Sure, it’s a given…kids will be magnetically drawn to the pool, magic shows, and all-you-can eat buffets featuring quantities of ice cream that dwarf the selection in the freezer at home. But if they need a break from all this fun, Holland America Line also offers a youth Culinary Arts Center activity program to teach kids and teens how to cook. The program incorporates dishes from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in complimentary 45-minute-long classes. Kids under eight years old learn to make theme cookies, fruit roll-ups, ice cream sandwiches, salad people art and scones. Kids eight and over get to make soft pretzels, granola bars, and saltwater taffy.

Behind the Scenes Kitchen Tours

And for those who aren’t into pots and pans and positively cringe at the thought of confronting them on vacation,

Kitchen Tour

Holland America offers behind-the-scenes kitchen tours. Ever wonder how much meat or vegetables are consumed during a cruise? How about those perfectly arranged dishes that are whisked out into the dining room each night? Even chefs have cheat sheets in the form of large posters illustrating every detail of every serving served on board. There are even separate kitchen facilities for room service meals! If anything, the tours instill a new found appreciation of how culinary greatness is created at sea.